Denouement
by SinfulPleasures
Summary: Fourth Installment in "Goodbye, Sasuke" series Naruto felt the palm of his hands become moist as he fisted his fingers. He could do this. He needed to do this. If he didn't gain any closure, it would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life.


**Hello everyone,**

**I am somewhat saddened to inform you that there is one last installment to this series. The epilogue. In the epilogue, I plan to tie up some loose ends. The epilogue will take place a couple of years after this installment which means you guys will get to see the direction in which their relationship has taken. I am still debating whether to make it Naruto's POV, Sasuke's POV, or both. So we'll see how it goes. **

**Anyways, please share with me your thoughts. An author's motivations is the feedback from their readers. **

* * *

><p><em>The light of the moon shined into the room, making the sweat covered skin glisten. Tan hands leaned up to grasp the body above him, nails digging into the pale skin. Harsh pants came from the two tangled bodies on the bed, drowning out the squeaking of the bed. Flush skins slid against each other as they worked towards completion. Kisses were greedy and exchanged harshly in their desperation to reach the end. After a few frantic thrusts, they both climax, shivering with pleasure as they struggled to catch their breath.<em>

_Blue eyes opened lazily as he looked at his lover. He smiled as he took in the image of the man he loved; damp rosy skin stood out against his normally pale skin. He saw dark coal eyes stare at him as he raised his hand to rest it against the other man's cheek. His gaze lowered down to the man's lips as they parted. _

"_Naruto."_

Naruto jumped as he awoke. His chest rose and fell quickly as he struggled to catch his breath. He could feel his clothes stick to his sweat covered body. He took his surroundings as he tried to avoid thinking about the dream. No matter how much he tried, images of his dream fluttered in his mind. Just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared. Teasing him.

After a few moments of just sitting there, Naruto sat up properly and threw the covers off him. He got out of the bed and headed to his bathroom. He wanted to get rid of the evidence and pretend it never happened. When he reached the bathroom, he turned on the water to a warm temperature. He took off his shirt first. Just as he pulled it over his head, a blue light caught his attention. He slowly removed his shirt and something hit his chest.

The necklace.

He slowly raised his hand to grasp it. He turned it over on his palm as he slowly examined it.

"_They took it! Those bastards took it!"_

He closed his eyes as his own voice rang clearly in his head. He had been so riled up that day; he had been out for murder.

"_Are you stupid?! They could have killed you!" _

He smiled sadly. That had been the first time he had seen _Sasuke_ lose his composure.

He took one last look at the necklace before he continued to undress. He entered the shower and tried to wash away the ache in his chest.

Snsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsn

_Sasuke could hear himself breathing harshly as he ran through the streets. Obscenities ran through his head as he tried to figure out where Naruto had disappeared. He felt his stomach flutter and knot as he felt a wave of panic go through him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad would happen if he didn't locate Naruto. _

_He cursed the day he suggested this vacation. After being busy with work, he wanted to take some time off for Naruto and himself. They hadn't spent much time together since they moved in together a couple of months ago. _

"_Bastard!"_

_He stopped momentarily as he heard Naruto's voice. He quickly ran towards where he heard scuffling. Just as he got closer, he saw Naruto fighting with a man. Sasuke quickly headed over when he noticed someone else nearby. Another man stood on the far right side with a gun pointed at Naruto's back._

_Anxiety and dread filled Sasuke's body. Sasuke didn't know where the boost of speed had come from but he managed to push Naruto out of the way before the gun fired. He heard curses before hurried footsteps drifted away. He felt Naruto struggle under him, trying to get up to chase the men. _

"_They took it! Those bastards took it!"_

"_Are you stupid?! They could have killed you!" _

"_I need to get it back!" _

"_At the cost of your life?! Are you stupid?"_

_The struggling that Naruto had been doing stopped. He watched as Naruto stared at him. He saw his angered expression change slowly to one of sadness._

"_But the necklace…it was given to me by…" _

"_I know…" he said softly. He wanted to yell at the blond some more but he knew how important that necklace had been to him. The only memory he had that tied Naruto to his family. He took a deep breath before he pulled Naruto closer to his body. _

"_I'm sorry Naruto…" he felt the shorter man cling to him, "but nothing is more important to me than your life." _

_He felt hands clutch at his shirt but nothing more. _

"_Don't worry; I'll get it back." He felt the other pull away momentarily, and his eyes met with cerulean blue eyes. They stood quiet for a moment before Naruto gave him a saddened smile. _

_He lowered his head a bit as he kissed him. _

"_No matter how long it takes…" he promised._

Snsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsn

Sasuke leaned on his chair as he drank his coffee.

It had taken a great deal of work to track down the necklace. He hadn't stopped looking for it, and it had taken great resources to locate it. When his men informed him of its location, he sent Shikamaru to personally retrieve it. He had wanted to have it when he finally found Naruto. His only regret was not being able to see him receive it.

A knock rang across the room.

He sat the cup down before he stood up to grab the briefcase from the bed. He made sure his tie was straight and then headed for the door. He opened the door to reveal Shikamaru whom he nodded in greeting to.

He couldn't help but let his mind wonder off. His ache and want of Naruto consumed his mind. It didn't take them long before he arrived at the office.

He had barely settled into the office when he heard a knock on his door and looked up to meet the last person he had expected to see standing in his doorway.

"Sabaku," he murmured.

"Uchiha."

He sat down the pen that he held in his hand. He motioned for Gaara to take a seat across from him.

He waited as the other sat down. Sasuke tried to read his expression but found nothing definite.

"What can I do for you Mr. Sabaku?"

Gaara did not respond but merely stared at him. Sasuke waited patiently.

"Naruto," Gaara said.

Sasuke continued to wait.

"What are your plans with Naruto?"

Sasuke leaned forward.

"Get him back."

"Why?"

"I love him."

He felt the need to blush at his confession but trusted his façade of indifference to cover his embarrassment.

Gaara nodded once before he stood up and slowly walked out of the office.

A rush of air escaped him as he released the tension from his body. He didn't want to admit the uneasiness he had felt when Gaara showed up. He was an Uchiha after all but with Naruto on the line.

He frowned.

He wasn't going to mess up his last chance.

Snsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsn

Naruto watched the children run around the playground. The sun was high in the sky, but the shade of the trees was cool enough that the heat was bearable.

He needed to make a decision.

He leaned back into the bench as he listened to the laughter of the kids. He was startled when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone.

_Gaara: Where are you?_

Naruto replied with his location. He put away his phone because he knew he wouldn't receive a reply. It would only be a matter of time before the other showed up.

As he continued to simply sit and think, a black limo stopped nearby. Naruto heard a closing of a door and saw Gaara approaching him. He smiled brightly.

"Gaara, my man!" he raised his arm to wave enthusiastically. Gaara continued to approach him in an unhurried manner. Naruto quickly moved to make more room on the bench for the redhead to sit.

"How yah been?" he asked as soon as Gaara sat down.

"You can drop the façade, Naruto." Gaara turned to look at Naruto, his expression never changing.

Naruto felt his smile slowly fade into a small saddened one. He chuckled under his breath. Count on Gaara to look through it. He sighed softly as he leaned back into the bench again.

They both sat quietly.

The wind picked up, fading away the sounds of the children playing.

"I saw Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes widened. He felt his heart stop for a moment before it sped up in anxiety. He could feel his hands become moist as perspiration clung to the skin. It took him a moment to recover before he realized how dumb the reaction had been. He had _known_ that Sasuke was in town from the moment he received the first gift.

"What will you do?"

Naruto turned to look at Gaara.

"What should I do?" he asked quietly.

"Neji is a better option."

Naruto laughed bitterly.

"That's what I keep telling myself." Naruto raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair in desperation. He felt so overwhelmed because his heart and his mind had different ideas. His heart yearned and wanted Sasuke back. His mind kept telling him to move on and give Neji a chance. Even through the constant battle he had with himself, deep down he knew what he would decide.

"You have to decide," Gaara said. He stood up and faced Naruto, who in turn looked up at him. He said nothing for a moment before he raised his hand and rested it on Naruto's head.

"You will make the right decision. You might feel like it's the wrong decision, and it might be difficult at the beginning." Gaara removed his hand from Naruto's head but not before ruffling it. "Trust yourself."

Naruto watched as Gaara turned around and started walking back to the limousine. As he watched it drive off, he realized he felt calmer. He felt at ease with the words that Gaara had offered to him.

Gaara was right.

He knew what he had decided on. The question remained: Will he regret it?

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Sasuke grabbed a hold of his cell phone as his gaze lingered on the blond across the street from him. The blond was sitting in a café near his apartment. After speaking with Gaara that afternoon, he realized he needed to act soon. He had finished his work as quick as he could and set out to find Naruto. It hadn't taken him long because he had someone tailing the blond since he first came across him on that raining day.

Sasuke pulled up Naruto's contact information and was about to dial when he saw a familiar face walk by.

Neji.

He was walking slowly towards the entrance of the café. Sasuke wanted to walk towards him but decided against it. Instead, he leaned back into his seat and decided to observe the two before him. If he wanted another chance with Naruto, he needed to play it right.

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Naruto took a shaky breath as he saw Neji approach the café. He was nervous and hoped he was making the correct decision. He had stayed at the park, thinking for hours before he made his decision. It hadn't been easy, but he trusted Gaara's words.

He saw Neji approach the table after entering the building. Naruto smiled a bit and stood up as the other got closer. Neji smiled back as he leaned in to give him a brief hug and a kiss on his cheek.

"Naruto," the black haired man said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Naruto smiled again. "I was getting tired of my own company."

"Then I guess I will need to keep you company instead," Neji continued to smile before it disappeared as the waitress approached him. After ordering his latte, he returned his attention to Naruto.

"Naruto, I expect the reason for this meeting is to respond to my request?"

Naruto felt his smile waver as he nodded.

Neji quietly stared at him. Naruto felt uneasy under the stare. Neji was one of those few who gave the impression that he could look into your soul.

"Why?"

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at Neji. It seemed he could really look into your soul. Naruto sighed softly; this made it easier on him to explain.

"We can't tell our hearts who to love."

"With time, you can teach it to love someone else," Neji responded.

"I want to believe that is true," Naruto lowered his gaze. "But you know as well as I do that it doesn't always happen."

Just as Neji was about to reply, the waitress arrived with his order. No one said anything as they listened to the quiet chatter of their environment.

"Are you going back to him?" he asked after a few moments.

"I don't know," Naruto truthfully answered. "Just because I can't be with you, doesn't mean I am going back to him."

Neji watched as the steam from his cup rose. He wanted to pry more, but he knew he had no right to ask more than what he already did.

"He will hurt you again."

"That may be…" Naruto grabbed his cup and took a drink from it. "Whether or not I ever reconcile with him, I know the risks…. If I decide to give it another chance, it is because I know I can handle the uneasiness that will come with it."

Neji smiled.

"Then I guess you have made up your mind."

Naruto watched as Neji pulled out his wallet and set a few bills on the table before standing up. He continued to sit there as Neji approached him. He looked directly into the almost transparent white eyes before he closed his eyes. He felt cool lips press against his own. He could feel a sense of peace in his soul. He no longer had to worry about hurting Neji and that comforted him.

As he felt the other pull away, he felt fingers in his hair. He watched Neji slowly walk away from him and out of the building.

Even if his mind kept telling him he was making a mistake, his heart felt calm. He had made the right choice for him. He waited a bit before following suit and leaving the café. Once he was outside, he took a moment to breath in fresh air.

He slowly walked to his apartment, letting his mind replay the events that led to this point. It took him a couple of minutes before he reached his apartment. As he entered his apartment, he felt his phone vibrate.

He pulled out the cell phone from his pocket.

_Unknown xxx-xxxx_

Naruto hesitated for a moment before pressing the _call_ button.

He raised it up to his ear and waited.

"_Dobe._"

His body shivered as a deep husky voice came from the speaker. The heart that had been calm a few seconds ago was pumping rapidly.

"Teme," his voice came in a soft whisper.

"_Can we talk?_"

Naruto wanted nothing more than to say no, he didn't feel ready.

"_Naruto."_

He bit his bottom lip and then nodded.

"Y-yes."

"…_Thank you."_

Naruto tried to convince himself that the relief he heard in Sasuke's voice was just his imagination. He stood quietly listening; he wasn't sure what to say to that. He had agreed to meet with him, but he wasn't sure if this was the right choice.

He heard a soft knock come from his front door. He knew without asking who was on the other side. He slowly lowered the phone and hung up. He stared at the door, willing for another knock to come but knew that none would come.

He felt the palm of his hands become moist as he fisted his fingers. He could do this. He needed to do this. If he didn't gain any closure, it would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life. He slowly approached the entrance of his home, stopping right in front of it. He could hear his heart so loudly that he was afraid that it could be heard outside his apartment.

_It's now or never…_

With a shaky breath, he opened the door to the very source of his pain.

Naruto had forgotten how immense Sasuke's presence was. The very aura that he carried with him brought forth emotions he had tried to push back and forget. He felt a variety of emotion but the strongest were pain, anger, sadness but above all love.

He was met with a dark suit that showed off the immense physique of the man before him. His breath caught as his ocean blue eyes met with jet-black coal eyes.

Snsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsn

The moment Sasuke laid his eyes on Naruto, he noticed how his eyes held such overwhelming sadness. He felt his heart tightened. He was the cause of that sadness. The moment he asked Naruto to move in, he had vowed to always bring Naruto happiness. Yet he foolishly let his pride be the object of their unhappiness.

He waited for Naruto. He knew he could easily reject him. It was different to think about having this meeting, but, once the reality hit, it could easily shatter that confidence. No matter how fragile Naruto might seem at times, he knew that he would never back out from a tough situation. Sasuke hoped that would also be true for this situation.

He saw how Naruto looked as if he wanted to shut the door in face, but after a few more moments, he stepped back and motioned for Sasuke to come in. Sasuke slowly entered the apartment and as he made his way past Naruto, he noticed Naruto's gaze had lowered.

He stopped in front of the couches and waited for Naruto to join him.

Naruto approached the living room but stopped quite a few feet away from him.

Sasuke frowned but understood why. He turned to look at the area they were in and noticed that the place looked hardly lived in. He turned his attention to Naruto, who still hadn't raised his gaze.

As a member of the Uchiha family, Sasuke was proud that he always knew how to handle all types of situations. Yet when it came to Naruto, nothing was simple. He always found himself reacting so unlike himself. This situation was one of those. Uchihas do not grovel. They do not beg and do not chase. They are chased, they are begged and they are pleaded with.

That's when it hit him.

He was doing to himself exactly what he had hated. He had hated how people always saw him as that, just another member of the Uchiha clan. Naruto never did. He had seen him as Sasuke. Just Sasuke. Saw past his frowns, his stoic façade, his silence and his arrogance. Naruto was worth his pleas, he was worth being chased after, he was worth every humiliation he would put himself through in order to get Naruto to give him another chance.

He braced himself as he parted his lips.

"I am sorry, Naruto."

He watched as Naruto tensed.

"I hurt you in ways I can't even imagine and I'm a fool."

Snsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsn

Naruto raised his gaze as he heard Sasuke speak.

"I know that anything I say to explain what occurred will seem like an excuse but please believe me that I never meant to hurt you"

"Then why did you?" Naruto raised his gaze to meet Sasuke's. He struggled to remain composed. He didn't want to show Sasuke how much he still hurt. "I thought we were happy."

He knew he sounded cliché but he wanted reasons, explanations but at the same time, he just wanted to yell and vent at him.

"Trust me when I say you did nothing wrong, Naruto."

"Trust you? Believe you?" Naruto couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "Can you honestly say that I should?"

He watched as Sasuke stayed silent.

"I trusted you. I believed you." He felt a familiar sting in his eyes. He would not cry, he could not cry. "In the end, that only led me to heartache."

Naruto closed his hands into a fist, willing himself to regain composure.

"You have every right to be mad, just let me explain what happened."

Naruto wanted nothing more than to run, but he needed to face this head on. He couldn't back out just because he was afraid.

"What is there to explain, Sasuke? You were fucking with Sakura behind my back for months. End of story," he growled out.

"That's not true," Sasuke said forcefully.

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Sasuke noticed how Naruto stilled at his tone of voice.

Sasuke sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Naruto," he started "I am guilty of…being unfaithful."

"I know that already bastard."

He could hear the pain and sadness laced in Naruto's voice. He quickly approached Naruto and grabbed his arms.

"I did sleep with Sakura, but I'll be damned if I let you think it happened more than once."

Naruto pushed away his hands.

"Don't take me for a fool, Sasuke. You had marks on your body! Your body smelled of her perfume."

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"I know you think I'm stupid, but I am not blind," said Naruto.

"She ambushed me at the office several times."

Naruto laughed. He knew his laughing sounded wrong and borderline hysterical but he couldn't help it.

"The great Sasuke Uchiha ambushed by a woman?" Naruto looked at him amusingly. "You have a better chance in trying to convince me that you fell repeatedly and landed with your dick inside her every time."

"Damn it, Naruto." He could hear the frustration in Sasuke's voice. He wanted to punch him. Who did he think he was? Sasuke was very capable when it came to difficult situations. That's why every word that left his mouth sounded like a lie to him.

"Do you think this is easy to admit that some desperate women got the better of me? Damn it, Naruto, she had told me she was pregnant! What was I supposed to do?"

Naruto felt his body go numb. He felt as if the room had darkened as Sasuke's voice echoed in his mind.

Pregnant.

That woman was pregnant with Sasuke's child.

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Sasuke was so frustrated that he failed to realize that Naruto had gotten eerily pale.

"Pregnant?"

The quiet mumbled drew his averted gaze to Naruto and realized how petrified he looked. He realized his mistake and quickly grabbed him by the arms.

"It was a lie, Naruto," he tried his best to sooth him. He raised his hands and cupped Naruto's face. His thumbs grazing the whisker liked scars. After a few moments, Naruto's eyes met his, and he watched as they filled with tears.

"Why, Sasuke?" he said chokingly. At first Sasuke was confused with the question. There were so many aspects of his actions in which it could be applied too.

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He had enough of being strong. He had enough of hiding his pain.

"Was I not enough?" he asked as his tears overflowed and ran down his cheeks. "Is it because I can't give you children? Am I really not enough for you?"

Sasuke felt his heart ache. Naruto sounded so broken and he was at fault. He had broken the most wonderful being in this world. He had made him feel so worthless and he hated himself.

"You are more than what I deserve, Naruto."

Sasuke made a decision. Consequences be damned.

He looked down into Naruto's tear filled ocean blue eyes. "You are worth more than life itself, Naruto. I am a fool for hurting you."

Before he could rethink it, he learned down and pressed his lips against Naruto's. The moment their lips touched, Sasuke pressed closer. He had missed this closeness; he had missed Naruto's warmth. He wanted to desperately wrap his arms around Naruto and never let go. He felt him still but Sasuke did not pull back. Instead, he moved his lips against tan ones, coaxing them to part.

He felt Naruto lay his hand on his chest and next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the couch with numbing pain on his left cheek.

"Don't fuck with me!" Naruto glared at him. "You think kissing will make all of this go away?!"

Sasuke cursed as he slowly got up. He raised his hand and touched his tender cheek. It was swelling, but he knew he deserved it.

"Fuck this, Sasuke, just leave."

Naruto turned around and made his way to the door. Sasuke followed after him and once Naruto reached the door, Sasuke slammed both hands against the door with Naruto in between them.

"I am not leaving until you hear me out," Sasuke growled. "I know I fucked up but listen to me."

Naruto returned his glare but said nothing.

"The night of the Christmas party," he started, "I remember refusing Sakura's advancements. I wanted to hurry up and get home to you."

Sasuke ignored the 'yeah right' and continued.

"I remember taking a drink from a cup someone offered me and next thing I know, I'm waking up naked in a hotel room with Sakura next to me. I was horrified at what I had done and made sure to tell her it was a mistake.

I wanted to tell you, but I was ashamed. I had claimed to have loved you and yet I still did that under the effects of alcohol. After that I made sure to stay away from alcohol from then on and thought it was all behind me but I was wrong."

He heart Naruto snort.

"She approached me telling me she was pregnant. She swore it was mine and I didn't know what to do. How could I face you and tell you I betrayed you and I have no recollection? How could I tell you that a pregnancy resulted from that betrayal?"

Naruto looked at the usual stoic face and saw how it was twisted into a painful expression. No matter how much he wanted to hate him, he realized he couldn't. He looked at him and smiled sadly.

"But-"

"Enough," he said softly. "Enough, Sasuke…"

Sasuke quietly stared at him, closing his eyes as he leaned into the hands that cupped his cheek.

"I…forgive you," he heard Naruto whisper. He opened his eyes and realized that Naruto's eyes were filled with unshed tears. "Maybe you really hadn't meant to be unfaithful but it doesn't change that you have a c-child now."

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Knowing that Sasuke had a child made it harder. No matter how desperately he wanted to hope that they still had a future together, he knew they didn't. He could not compete with a child and did not want to.

"Tha-"

"It's fine, Sasuke. I understand. It's just…It's best we end this. Let's go our separate ways because I don't think I can compete with a child of your blood."

He knew what it was like growing up without parents. He knew the longing to have two parents at his sides. Someone who would scowl him for his reckless behaviors. Someone who would hold him and tell him it was 'okay.' Someone who would be there for him and love him unconditionally no matter how meek the situation they found themselves in. He could never do that to a child.

"Narut-"

"Please, Sasuke. Understand that I can't live with myself if I separated you from your chi-"

"Damn it, Naruto." Sasuke gripped at Naruto's shoulder and shook him slightly. "You aren't listening! It was a lie!"

"W-What?"

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"Sakura lied. The child she is carrying was never mine to begin with." Sasuke saw the confusion decorate Naruto's face. He wanted to desperately make him believe in his words. He wanted Naruto back.

"Did you take a paternity test?" Naruto asked.

"No, she was already pregnant the night of the Christmas party," Sasuke said. "She kept trying to create a relationship with me because of the child. The night you left, Itachi called me to inform me and I was on my way to confront her about it."

Naruto continued to stare at Sasuke, trying to grasp his words. He could feel new hope rise in his heart, clinging to those fleeting words. Could he really just simply forget? Could he simple let go? What if he was lying? What if…? Naruto's mind filled millions of questions that he knew that he would not be able to answer. Was it all worth another chance?

Naruto parted his lips to simply reject the notion of the possibility of reigniting their relationship when he felt an ache on his arms. The ache was coming from area in which Sasuke was holding him. He realized how hard the grip was but also noticed how those strong hands held the smallest tremble. That's when Naruto really looked at the man who he had shared years of his life with.

The man who he had seen always composed even in the most severe situation looked at him with despair in his eyes. The once stoic face was twisted in a sad, angry expression that pleaded him to believe him. His usual clean and pressed clothing, disheveled and out of place from his harsh actions. His normally slick and styled hair, ruffled. They all spoke one thing to Naruto.

Truth.

Naruto stared at Sasuke. No matter what they did, things would be messy and difficult. He could choose to walk away, deal with the heartache, and hope that with time that the hurt would fade. Or he could choose to forgive Sasuke and maybe with time…

He had decided.

He took a shaky breath and lowered his gaze. After a few moments, he looked back at Sasuke, their eyes meeting.

"I can't promise you that this will be easy," he said. "I can't promise that I can fully forgive you."

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Sasuke looked at him uncertain.

_Could it be?_

"We can't go back to how we were but…"

Sasuke felt his heart beat steadily increase in anticipation.

"Let's just take it one step at a time and see where we go."

Sasuke wanted to scream in happiness. He wanted to jump up and down, but he knew he couldn't or rather he wouldn't. Instead, he smiled widely.

Naruto watched as a mixture of emotion flashed on Sasuke's face as he spoke. He had expected for the stoic façade to reemerge but instead he was surprised by the almost blinding smile. If he hadn't been sure about his decision, he was now.

He felt the ache in his arms loosen. The hands that had gripped his arms slowly moved down and stopped at his hands. The pale, long fingers slowly entwined with his own. Sasuke lowered his head as he slowly brought Naruto's hand up. He let his lips graze Naruto's knuckles and gently lowered them again.

"Thank you," his voice coming in a soft whisper. "I know I hurt you… and I can't express how grateful I am that you are still willing to let me prove myself to you. I will show you that you made the correct decision in believing me."

Naruto felt a warmth in his heart that he hadn't felt in a long time.

They still had many things to work out. He knew things would never be the same between them. Maybe they will eventually go their separate ways. Or maybe by some miracle they would still be together in another four years.

Naruto knew it would take time, and it would take patience.

But, more than anything, it would need their love and devotion.

And that was enough for Naruto.

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**Author's Note:**

I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, the fact that you took the time to do so means a lot to me. Yes, there were less reviewers this time but I am content to know that some people liked it enough to add my stories to their favorite's list and/or add me to their Author's Alert.

On the other hand, good news. I will be able to post the epilogue far sooner than I have these last two installments. I finally will have time on my hands, classes twice a week equals endless hours of writing.

**clio1111: **Thank you for reviewing. I know it is very vague ending but I hope the epilogue will give you some closure in their reunion. Thank you for your continued support.

**tenebreyami: **Thank you for taking the time to look at all three installments. I can see why you would think Sasuke is egoistic. Yet we need to also understand that he has the pressure of his family name weighing on him. Before meeting Naruto, he always assumed people weren't worth his time other than to gain what he needed from them. His mistake was thinking that just because he's an Uchiha, means that he always has to handle things on his own for fear of looking weak. As for Naruto, it is normal to be unable to move past such a crisis. It's always hard to give up on your first love, to give up the warmth of the happiness shared two people.

**Mizuki Inuzuka:** I'm glad you liked it and I hope this installment was to your liking. Thank you for taking the time to review!

**femaleJoey: **I am glad you pointed out trust and honesty. Trust and honesty are definitely key factors in a working relationship. I am not saying that just because Naruto is willing to take a chance, things will be easy. I am sorry to hear the alert didn't work, I am more than happy to alert you myself for the last installment. I want to thank you for your continued support.

**Fujoshi-done:** I am so sorry I took so long to get this installment written. I hope this installment was to your liking. Thank you for your continued support.


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